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Authors: Joseph Anderson
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more complicated than I thought. The neural link gives me access to how
her brain stores information biologically. I’m amazed you can remember anything
at all in that mess.”
Natalie laughed.
“I’m going to look deeper into
Spectrum’s records on Lumen,” Cass continued. “If I can find more about her history,
perhaps I can set up the same foundation she had before. It might help her
become as close to her old self as she can be.”
“I’d advise against that,” Natalie
said. “Better to go with something new if you can make that feel more real to
her.”
“I’d like to at least try,” Cass
said. “She isn’t going anywhere. We have time.”
Natalie opened her mouth and
hesitated. She nodded a moment later, albeit reluctantly.
Burke looked through the main
window of the ship. The interior of the jump carrier reminded him of a space
station. There were extravagant facilities and amenities within the deeper
levels of the carrier; it was not unlike a cruise ship, a popular vacation
choice for planet dwellers that rarely went into space.
“If you head out, bring back the
usual supplies. I’ll reimburse you,” Burke said to Rylan.
“I’m still allowed to leave the
ship?” he asked, blinking.
Cass and Natalie both turned to
give the two men their undivided attention. Burke could practically feel their
eyes on the back of his head.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t let
you?” Burke asked.
“No,” Rylan said quickly. Then,
slower: “no, Captain.”
The pilot climbed out of his chair
and walked out of the room. He turned to the right at the first door in the
corridor and walked into his quarters. Burke turned to watch him and saw Cass
beaming at him from over the podium.
“Who are you and what have you done
with my Burke?” Cass said teasingly.
“Very funny,” he muttered. “If this
goes wrong it’s your fault.”
“I’ll take that deal,” she replied.
“If it goes right then it’s my success, too.”
Burke and Natalie remained on the
Brisbane. They enjoyed having the ship to themselves during the hours that
Rylan was gone each day. They spent most of their time in Burke’s quarters.
Cass focused on planning the next steps in reconstructing Lumen.
When Burke and Natalie ventured out
of his room, they went into the armory or the kitchen. Burke prepared the most
elaborate meals he had learned for Natalie, and the two ate together while they
looked over the video feeds Cass had maintained on Frey. They spoke often about
how to best contact Kristen when they reached the planet. At the end of each
day, Burke called Geoff and tried to soothe the old man. He grew more restless
and agitated with each call, his mood worsening as his wounds healed. By the
time the jump carrier landed in the Tali system, he had removed the healing
wrap from the right side of his face. His flesh was still swollen but he looked
more like his usual self.
“Don’t let them take her Burke,”
Geoff said at the end of every call.
Frey was a few hours away from
where the jump gate was located in Tali. Burke became restless as they approached
the planet. He either paced around the armory, fussed over his guns, or stared
at the video feed on Natalie’s laptop. Nothing had happened to Kristen yet. She
had entered and left her apartment multiple times while they were traveling in
the jump carrier. He knew that whoever Paxton hired should have reached the
planet before they did. He had to admit that Geoff must have been right. It was
looking more likely that it was a trap intended to lure him out. It made him
feel even worse that Kristen was the bait.
An hour away from Frey, Burke began
putting on his aegis. Natalie helped him with the arm potions and then the
helmet. She guided him through the new interface options on the interior side
of the visor that displayed the status of the shield system. He twisted both of
his forearms and triggered the right arm’s blade and the left arm’s shield.
Something about
her brain stores information biologically. I’m amazed you can remember anything
at all in that mess.”
Natalie laughed.
“I’m going to look deeper into
Spectrum’s records on Lumen,” Cass continued. “If I can find more about her history,
perhaps I can set up the same foundation she had before. It might help her
become as close to her old self as she can be.”
“I’d advise against that,” Natalie
said. “Better to go with something new if you can make that feel more real to
her.”
“I’d like to at least try,” Cass
said. “She isn’t going anywhere. We have time.”
Natalie opened her mouth and
hesitated. She nodded a moment later, albeit reluctantly.
Burke looked through the main
window of the ship. The interior of the jump carrier reminded him of a space
station. There were extravagant facilities and amenities within the deeper
levels of the carrier; it was not unlike a cruise ship, a popular vacation
choice for planet dwellers that rarely went into space.
“If you head out, bring back the
usual supplies. I’ll reimburse you,” Burke said to Rylan.
“I’m still allowed to leave the
ship?” he asked, blinking.
Cass and Natalie both turned to
give the two men their undivided attention. Burke could practically feel their
eyes on the back of his head.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t let
you?” Burke asked.
“No,” Rylan said quickly. Then,
slower: “no, Captain.”
The pilot climbed out of his chair
and walked out of the room. He turned to the right at the first door in the
corridor and walked into his quarters. Burke turned to watch him and saw Cass
beaming at him from over the podium.
“Who are you and what have you done
with my Burke?” Cass said teasingly.
“Very funny,” he muttered. “If this
goes wrong it’s your fault.”
“I’ll take that deal,” she replied.
“If it goes right then it’s my success, too.”
Burke and Natalie remained on the
Brisbane. They enjoyed having the ship to themselves during the hours that
Rylan was gone each day. They spent most of their time in Burke’s quarters.
Cass focused on planning the next steps in reconstructing Lumen.
When Burke and Natalie ventured out
of his room, they went into the armory or the kitchen. Burke prepared the most
elaborate meals he had learned for Natalie, and the two ate together while they
looked over the video feeds Cass had maintained on Frey. They spoke often about
how to best contact Kristen when they reached the planet. At the end of each
day, Burke called Geoff and tried to soothe the old man. He grew more restless
and agitated with each call, his mood worsening as his wounds healed. By the
time the jump carrier landed in the Tali system, he had removed the healing
wrap from the right side of his face. His flesh was still swollen but he looked
more like his usual self.
“Don’t let them take her Burke,”
Geoff said at the end of every call.
Frey was a few hours away from
where the jump gate was located in Tali. Burke became restless as they approached
the planet. He either paced around the armory, fussed over his guns, or stared
at the video feed on Natalie’s laptop. Nothing had happened to Kristen yet. She
had entered and left her apartment multiple times while they were traveling in
the jump carrier. He knew that whoever Paxton hired should have reached the
planet before they did. He had to admit that Geoff must have been right. It was
looking more likely that it was a trap intended to lure him out. It made him
feel even worse that Kristen was the bait.
An hour away from Frey, Burke began
putting on his aegis. Natalie helped him with the arm potions and then the
helmet. She guided him through the new interface options on the interior side
of the visor that displayed the status of the shield system. He twisted both of
his forearms and triggered the right arm’s blade and the left arm’s shield.
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